Air conditioning apparatus



March 17, 1953 J. A. DE VlLBlSS 2,631,833

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1949 .INVENTOR. John A. De l/l'lbl'ss ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1953 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS John A. De Vilbiss, St. Marys, Kans., assignor to Frederick A. Meyer, St. Marys, Kans.

Application June 15, 1949, Serial No. 99,213

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a relatively simple, inexpensive and compact air conditioning apparatus adapted for many uses including space cooling or treating of the air Within such space, whether the same constitutes a home, ofiice, or manufacturing plant as well as use in the field of refrigeration.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning apparatus operable in one of its forms on the principle of cooling by liquid evaporation, the structure including a liquid container provided with means to direct the air to be treated toward and above the surface of the liquid in the container for ultimate discharge back into the space to be cooled.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide air conditioning apparatus having a liquid container provided with fan means therein adapted to draw air into the container and direct the same tangentially outwardly above the surface of the liquid and to force the treated air outwardly from the container in a path of travel separate from the path of the incoming air.

Other objects of the present invention include the way in which means is provided to pump or circulate the liquid through the fan; the manner in which the air is channeled from the container to eliminate any resistance to its free movement; and the way in which the entire apparatus is formed and designed to render the same inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and simple to operate'and maintain in an operative condition.

Other more minor objects will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an air conditioning apparatus embodying one form of my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, substantially central crosssectional view taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view showing the outlet structure.

Fig. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, top plan view showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to,5 inclusive, there is included a hollow, preferably cylindrical container, broadly designated by 1 1 Ilumeral l9,

Container H! has a flat bottom l2 that may be provided with supporting legs (not shown) if desired. Continuous side wall 14 extends upwardly from bottom [2 and a cover 16 closes the open top of container I0. Cover 16 has an annular flange that circumscribes the uppermost marginal edge of wall l4.

Cover I6 is provided with an access opening that is in turn closed by a removable lid 20. A relatively large, centrally disposed opening 22 is formed in the cover [6 for receiving an elongated cylindrical tube 24. Tube 24 has its uppermost open end provided with an out-turned annular flange 26 that overlies and rests upon the uppermost face of cover l6 adjacent the opening 22. If desired, the tube or conduit 24 may be secured to cover IS in any suitable manner not shown. The diameter of tube 24 is appreciably less than the diameter of the container I6 presenting a space 28 Within container ID that completely circumscribes tube 24.

A relatively short circular sleeve 36, is positioned within the tube 24 near the lowermost end of the latter and supported by an inturned annular flange 32 formed at the lowermost open end of tube 24. Sleeve 30 has a bracket 34 mounted therein for supporting an electric motor or like prime mover 36.

Motor 36 has its drive shaft 38 disposed vertically and extending downwardly therefrom for receiving a fan 40 that is secured directly thereto. The outside diameter of fan 44 is less than the diameter of the opening defined by flange 32 to the end that motor 36, fan 40 and sleeve 30, can all be removed from the tube 24 by merely sliding the sleeve 30 upwardly.

Fan 40 includes a plate 42 that is provided with a plurality of relatively small curved pipes 44 for directing liquid 46 within container Ill upwardly and. radially outwardly through the blades of fan 40. The plate 42 has a cone 48 secured to the lowermost face thereof with the apex of the cone 48 immediately above the bottom wall l2 of container ID. This apex of cone 48 has an inlet opening 59 formed therein and the innermost face of cone 48 is provided with a plurality of vanes 52.

An outlet passageway 54 is mounted upon and forms a part of the cover I5. Passageway 54 is polygonal in cross-section and semi-circular, the bottom thereof being open and communicating directly with the space 28 within container ID. The width of the passageway 54 is uniform throughout its length but its height progressively increases from one end thereof to an outlet open ing 5'5. In other words, the top 58 of the outlet passage 54 inclines upwardly a the outlet opening 56 is approached. Obviously, the direction of incline is in conformity with the direction of movement of air emanating from container 10, affording a tangential and upwardly and outwardly directed path for air movement, thereby eliminating resistance of air movement to an appreciable extent.

In operation, the container I0 is filled with the liquid 45 to a point where the level thereof is below the fan 40. Energization of motor 36 to actuate fan 49, will cause inward movement of air through the tube 24 as indicated by arrows in Fig. 2. The air to be treated moves into the fan 40 and is directed tangentially outwardly with respect to the drive shaft 38. This air therefore, moves across the surface of the liquid 46 and is directed upwardly within the space 28 for ultimate discharge through passage 54 and outlet opening 56.

The liquid 46 in container will assume a substantially conical condition with the periphery thereof raised to a level substantially higher than that illustrated in Fig. 2. As the air is thus treated by the liquid, dust and impurities are removed therefrom before the passage from outlet 56.' Furthermore, vaporization of the liquid 45 will take place within the passageway 28 and the air will be automatically cooled by such high rate of vaporization.

The conical pumping means '48 is provided in the event the user desires to increase the rate of vaporization. The outermost surface of cone 48 being smooth, liquid 46 will enter opening 56 and be directed upwardly through pipes 44 into the fan 49, causing the liquid to form a fine mist as the same mingles with the incoming air. To assure full movement of the liquid 46 into the pipes 44, the vanes 52 are provided. 7

Inasmuch as a complete circulation of air within any given space is afforded by the apparatus just described, additional liquid 46 will not have to be added even after considerable use. If however, it is desired to circulate liquid through the container 10, the latter may well be connected with a suitable pressure system in the usual manner.

It is contemplated further that in some cases it might be desirable to cool the air in a room or the like by means of refrigeration. Accordingly, there is provided an evaporator coil 60 adjacent the bottom l2 of container 10 that may be connected with any suitable refrigerating system (not shown). In lieu of coils 60, the user might place a quantity of ice within the liquid 46 by means of removal of fiuid 20. To the end that large particles of dirt, insects or the like do not enter the tube 24, a screen 62 is provided in covering relationship to the uppermost inlet end thereof.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing is essentially the same as that just described and includes a liquid container I09, having the identical means just described for circulating air therethrough, but not shown. In lieu of the outlet passageway 54 formed in the closure 15, there is provided a passageway I02 in the side of the container 109, and arranged convolutely thereto.

The height of the passage I02 is uniform throughout its length but the side wall thereof is inclined outwardly from container in as outlet opening I94 thereof is approached. Passageway H32 communicates with the interior of container I00 throughout its length audit is seen that '4 resistance to air movement is decreased by permitting the air to move from the container in a tangential manner in conformity with its forced movement in container I00.

It is seen from the foregoing that there has been provided an air conditioning apparatus that is extremely simple and easy to manufacture. Depending upon the size of the unit, the same can be used to treat air within any given space. Obviously, air might be humidified and cooled, even to the extent of maintaining food products in refrigerators in a desired condition, thereby eliminating the drying effect inherent in cooling processes.

It is apparent that many additional changes and modifications might be made, but those that fairly come within the scope of the appended claim, are contemplated hereby.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An air conditioner comprising an open top, cylindrical liquid container; a cover closing said open top of the container and provided with a central opening; a tube having the ends thereof open and disposed within the container through said opening, said tube having an out-turned flange adjacent the uppermost end thereof resting upon the cover and an in-turned flange on the lowermost end thereof; a cylindrical sleeve within the tube and resting loosely upon said in-turned flange; an electric motor within the sleeve; a bracket joining the motor to the sleeve, said motor having a vertical shaft depending therefrom and terminating below the tube; a cylindrical blower mounted on the shaft within the container below the tube, said blower having a lowermost horizontal plate; a pump comprising a hollow conical body secured directly to said plate and depending therefrom, said body extending into the liquid within the container and having an inlet opening at its lowermost apex end, said plate closing the opposite end of the body; a plurality of vanes secured to the innermost face of said body; and a plurality of L-shaped pipes carried by the plate and extending therethrough in communication with the body, said pipes being disposed to discharge liquid from the body radially into the blower in the direction of air movement through the blower, there being a hollow, spiral discharge duct carried by the cover in partial surrounding relationship to said outturned flange and communicating with the container exteriorly to the tube, the diameter of the blower and the body being less than the diameter of the lowermost open end of the tube defined by said in-turned flange whereby said motor, sleeve, blower and body are rendered readily removable from the tube as a. unit.

JOHN A. DE VILBISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

